Which statement about a cumulative antibiogram is correct?

Which statement about a cumulative antibiogram is correct?

• A. A single patient’s antibiotic susceptibility history.
• B. A facility's annual financial report on antibiotic purchases.
• C. A summary of susceptibility patterns across isolates in a setting over a defined period; informs empiric therapy choices and resistance monitoring.
• D. A laboratory manual detailing testing protocols.

Answer: (C)

A cumulative antibiogram is a facility-wide, period-based summary of how susceptible local isolates are to various antibiotics, compiled from routine susceptibility test results. This aggregation helps clinicians choose empirically effective therapy by showing patterns for common pathogens and allows ongoing monitoring of resistance trends over time. It is not about an individual patient’s antibiotic history, a financial report on antibiotic purchases, or a laboratory manual of testing protocols, which serve different purposes.

A cumulative antibiogram is a facility-wide, period-based summary of how susceptible local isolates are to various antibiotics, compiled from routine susceptibility test results. This aggregation helps clinicians choose empirically effective therapy by showing patterns for common pathogens and allows ongoing monitoring of resistance trends over time. It is not about an individual patient’s antibiotic history, a financial report on antibiotic purchases, or a laboratory manual of testing protocols, which serve different purposes.